Bad Hugh eBook

be beaten, good brown skin, such as a man should have,
eyes to match, and a heap of curly hair. I’ll
be hanged if I don’t think I’m rather good-looking!”
and with his spirits proportionately raised, Hugh whistled
merrily as he went in quest of Aunt Chloe, to whom
he imparted the startling information that on the
next day but one, a young lady was coming to Spring
Bank, and that, in the meantime, the house must be
cleaned from garret to cellar, and everything put
in order for the expected guest.

With growing years, Aunt Chloe had become rather cross
and less inclined to work than formerly, frequently
sighing for the days when “Mas’r John
didn’t want no clarin’ up, but kep’
things lyin’ handy.” With her hands
on her fat hips she stood, coolly regarding Hugh, who
was evidently too much in earnest to be opposed.
Alice was coming, and the house must be put in order.

The cleaning and arranging was finished at last, and
everything within the house was as neat and orderly
as Aunt Eunice and Adah could make it, even Aunt Chloe
acknowledging that “things was tiptop,”
but said, “it was no use settin’ ’em
to rights when Mas’r Hugh done onsot ’em
so quick;” but Hugh promised to do better.
He would turn over a new leaf, so by way of commencement,
on the morning of Alice’s expected arrival he
deliberately rolled up his towel and placed it under
his pillow instead of his nightshirt, which he hung
conspicuously over the washstand. His boots were
put behind the fire-board, his every day hat jammed
into the bandbox where ’Lina kept her winter
bonnet, and then, satisfied that so far as his room
was concerned, everything was in order, he descended
the stairs and went into the garden to gather fresh
flowers with which still further to adorn Alice’s
room. Hugh was fond of flowers, and two most
beautiful bouquets were soon arranged and placed in
the vases brought from the parlor mantel, while Muggins,
who trotted beside him, watching his movements and
sometimes making suggestions, was told to see that
they were freshly watered, and not allowed to stand
where the sun could shine on them, as they might fade
before Miss Johnson came.

During the excitement of preparing for Alice, the
pain in his head had in a measure been forgotten,
but it had come back this morning with redoubled force,
and the veins upon his forehead looked almost like
bursting with their pressure of feverish blood.
Hugh had never been sick in his life, and he did not
think it possible for him to be so now, so he tried
hard to forget the giddy, half blinding pain warning
him of danger, and after forcing himself to sip a
little coffee in which he would indulge this morning,
he ordered Claib to bring out the covered buggy, as
he was going up to Lexington.